This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No. 100 01 216.7, filed Jan. 14, 2000, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a method of applying reproducible data on a data carrier. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for recording and audibly comparing data produced by several interpreters of a musical piece.
Reproducible data can be applied on a data carrier in different ways, for example, by using a tape recorder or by using a computer, wherein the data that are stored on a hard disk are transferred to a recordable CD to be burned in. It may sometimes be difficult to transfer the data to a data carrier, for example a CD, in particular when the data should be stored on the data carrier in a particular manner, for example at a certain location of the CD. The data that are transferred to the CD should also be burned at the respective selected location of the CD. This requires additional equipment which is frequently only available in a recording studio.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of applying data, obviating the afore-stated drawbacks.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of applying data recorded at a certain geographical location, on a data carrier at a different geographical location.
According to one aspect of the invention, data to be applied to a data carrier are electronically transported from one geographical location, where the data are generated, to another geographical location where the data are applied on the data carrier.
In this way, the data can be transported quickly, reliably and with high-quality to a geographical location where they are recorded in an expert manner onto a data carrier and burned in the data carrier. This method eliminates a loss of data. The method of the invention has several the advantages, in that not only is the transmission speed high, but the transmission quality can also be higher than with conventional methods which include, for example, mailing of recorded a data carriers, e.g., recording tapes.
Suitably, the data are merged with an already existing data set before the data are recorded on the data carrier. In this way, a quantity of data that increases in size through addition of the transmitted data, can be recorded on the data carrier.
According to another feature of the present invention, a first musical piece is converted into sound data and the transmitted sound data of a second musical piece are synchronized with the sound data of the first musical piece. This produces an processed musical piece which can be recorded on the data carrier with high quality. The sound data of the first musical piece may be created by a vocalist, with the vocalist""s vocal part being synchronized with the second musical piece. This produces a rendition of the musical piece which includes a personal attribute of the performing vocalist.
According to another feature of the invention, the sound data of the first musical piece are transmitted to the vocalist, where the sound data are converted into the first musical piece. The vocal part of the vocalist is adapted to the first musical piece and converted into corresponding sound data which are then transmitted to a second data processing device for synchronization with the data of the second musical piece. With this arrangement, a musical piece can be processed independent of the local conditions. Not only can the vocalist be provided with musical pieces in which is particularly interested, but the musical pieces can also be returned to a facility with special expertise in this field. At this facility, the returned music pieces can then be applied in an expert manner on the data carrier and burned in the data carrier.
According to still another feature of the invention, the data are stored on one of three different tracks of a data carrier. With this arrangement, the other tracks can be used for different purposes, for example in connection with data that are stored on the third track. Other versions of the first musical piece can be stored on the other two tracks where the unsynchronized data are stored. This makes it possible to sequentially listen to several versions of the musical piece and to compare these version with each other.
According to another feature of the invention, an unprocessed and a processed version of the first musical piece are stored on the two other tracks. By using the data carrier this manner, three versions of the same musical piece can be compared with one another, namely the original version, a processed version and the synchronized version. By comparing these versions, it can be determined, to which extent the different versions are different from one another and if the difference is likely to be perceived favorably or unfavorably by a listener.
According to still another feature of the invention, an interfering noise representing a subdued sound of an interpreter is superimposed on the sound data of the first musical piece. This feature should prevent that the musical piece is downloaded for free.
According to another feature of the invention, a virtual tape recorder to be used by the vocalist is projected onto a projection screen, wherein the virtual tape recorder can include the conventional recording functions of a real tape recorder. This makes it easier for the vocalist to practice a musical piece which the vocalist is to perform. As with a conventional tape recorder, the vocalist can forward and rewind, play and correct if the vocalist is later not satisfied with certain passages of his vocal performance.
According to another feature of the invention, printable data can be electronically transmitted to the geographic location where the data are to be applied on the data carrier, to provide written comments concerning the data to be recorded on the data carrier. The remote data transfer can therefore also be used to transfer printable data. The printable data may be printed on the disk cover. In this way, the cover can be personalized and coordinated with the disk packaged in the cover.